republicans, that the white house downplayed this terrorist attack, less than two months before the election. secretary of defense leon panetta today acknowledged that the attack that killed four americans in benghazi, libya, on the anniversary of 9/11 was not only carried out by terrorists, it was premeditated. >> as we determined the details of what took place there and how that attack took place, that it became clear that there were terrorists who had planned that attack. >> reporter: the white house first suggested that the benghazi attack was spontaneous. the result of that anti-muslim video inciting mobs throughout the region. >> jake, let's be clear. this -- these protests were in reaction to a video that had spread to the region. >> reporter: what happened in benghazi was -- >> we certainly don't know. we don't know otherwise. we have no information to suggest that it was a preplanned attack. >> reporter: but sources tell abc news that intelligence officials on the ground immediately suspected that the attack was not tied to the movie at all. arousing their suspicion? the fact that t